mid-day impact: After this paper's report, Reliance officials visit school, cut off its illegal power supply and issue a notice
Following mid-day's Friday report on a school in Mankhurd illegally using electricity and putting the lives of more than 500 students in danger, the Reliance Infrastructure Limited, that supplies electricity to the building, inspected the school, cut off its power supply and issued a notice to the school.
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Reliance officials inspect the building where the school is located
The Royal Public Academy and junior college is situated on the ground floor in 10 shops of Saptsangham co-operative housing society building no. 80. The school has allegedly been stealing from the building's common power supply since it was established on April 1, 2015.
'Register FIR too'
Suryakant Ashok Mada, resident and vice president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) from Mankhurd ward said, "Around 4 pm, the Reliance officials visited the spot and found that there was a direct supply of the electricity without any meter. They cut the meter and put up a notice on the school. An FIR should also be registered against the school for illegally taking the electricity."
The notice pasted on the wall states action was taken for electricity theft under section 135 of The Electricity Act, 2003. During the inspection, it was found that the school was using electricity by direct supply, and not through an authorized license. It was being supplied from a black wire passing through the walls in an irregular and unauthorized manner. The officials seized the wires and other material as evidence and the irregularity was explained to the chairman of the society and Imran Azmi, the school's founder.
The action was taken by Ramchandra Chivukula, deputy general manager of Reliance in front of Kalyan Shankar Sathe and Ismail Dilawar Mulani, the school's caretakers. The officials found that a total of 38 tube lights, 30 fans, 15 computers, two air conditioners and few other electronics were being used through the direct supply meters.
Have to pay losses and fine
An official from Reliance said, "We took action on Friday evening and gave a notice to the school authorities. But no one was ready to take it, so we pasted it. We've asked them to approach us within two days and have also informed the police. If they do not approach us, a case will be registered. They will have to pay the losses to the government and the fine for using electricity illegally."
Speaking to mid-day Azmi said, "We took the shops from the society on rent and are paying almost R50,000 to the society per month. We don't own the space. Now, it is the responsibility of the society to provide us with metered electricity."
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